I just don't understand why people are so caught up thinking we need a transfer QB.
I think he should be starting now. Milton is a liability at QB. While I expect Nico to struggle during his first year playing, I at least think he will improve as he starts more games and that will make the team better moving forward. Milton isn't improving. Had Nico started from Game 1 this year, I think we would be a better team right now than we are right now with Milton at QB.
bc Todd Helton got hurt…. it took colquitt getting hurt…. todd helton getting hurt…. even then manning split time with Brandon Stewart….. i read they had a plan for Nico’s development and it involved him sitting, learning, and getting stronger…. They don’t want to play him unless forced to play him.
You're playing with fire if you try to only have 2 scholarship QBs year after year. I agree that it will be hard to find a portal QB worth a scholarship that's willing to come into our situation, but it's not impossible. It may just have to be someone who has done really well at the FCS level and is willing to come in as the back up in the SEC.
Our OL isn't good enough to protect a freshman QB with the slate we have left. I also think Milton showed a lot of improvement Saturday. Our coaches came out in the second half playing not to lose. Instead of playing to win. They went conservative and let Bama gain the momentum. It was over after that. I don't think Heupel will make that mistake again.
Name them...specifically P5 true freshman QBs. Your tone suggests that there are numerous examples and unless I missed someone, by my count, there was one true freshman who started at QB in all of P5 football, last weekend. Only 3 that I can think of that have made a significant number of starts. None have played particularly well.
How many in the SEC? Joe isn't losing games for us. The two losses have been "TEAM" losses. If Nico hasn't beaten Milton in practice and you just bench him, then you lose your locker room. Especially, if he has a bad game and we lose. If Nico gave us the best chance to win right now, then he'd get the start this week. I know we got used to high scoring games, and outdueling opponents last year, but that isn't this team's identity. This team still has a lot to play for, and you're talking about starting Nico on the road against Kentucky (5-2), and Missouri (7-1). That's great if he's proven to be ready and has the team's confidence. It's terrible If not.
Impossible to know right now. Will depend on a) how many possible returnees spend their final season in Knoxville - could have all of Campbell/Mays/Spraggins/Mincey return, could have none, could have some combo, b) how well we do in the portal, both in terms of quality and quantity, the latter of which will depend on the answer to "a," and c) the development of Clipper/Grant/Reddick/Nichols/Johnson/Bussell/Umarov/Johnson/Lang, and d) if any of the 2024 signees are ready to play (Seaton, who isn't yet committed but we're going to the mattresses for, is the most likely of them IMO).
